Thursday, April 23, 2009

Soapbox Thursday: HELLO!! Get your facts straight Napolitano

When your CLOSEST neighbour, your supposed strongest ally, your greatest trading partner ... CONTINUES despite being shown evidence to the contrary, again and again, to perpetuate urban myths which fracture trust, create an atmosphere of suspicion and censure and continually and carelessly continue to spread slander against you.

and no matter HOW many times you refute, prove, deny and offer incontrovertible evidence, the same tired lie returns again and again.

This week, yet again, a senior American official, one assigned by the current administration (we can’t even blame George Bush this time!) came up again with the oft-quoted and COMPLETELY erroneous statement that the 9/11 terrorists entered the US THROUGH Canada:

On Monday night, in an interview aired by the CBC, U.S. Homeland SecuritySecretary Janet Napolitano was asked why she wants to increase security on theCanadian border to the same level as the Mexican border. She replied: "To theextent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or knownterrorist have entered our country across a border, it has been across theCanadian border."

HELLO!! May I remind Americans YET again – the 9/11 terrorists were in the U.S. on legitimate US visas, issued by the U.S. government!

"Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the9-11 terrorists came from," said Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador inWashington.

"As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. Theyflew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued by theUnited States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada."(CTV.ca)

So, thank you yet AGAIN U.S. government for not only pulling out yet again the urban myth of our complicity in one of North America’s greatest tragedy (which tragedy incidentally affected us almost as much – there were not only a number of Canadians in the twin towers including the brother of one of my OWN fellow employee), but then, instead of apologizing and setting the record straight, compounds it by adding the NEXT day that:

“Canada is allowing people into our country that we do not allow intoours."

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney fired back at Napolitano on CTV Newsnet's Power Play Wednesday.

"That's absolutely wrong. Ever since 9-11, and before 9-11, Canada hasco-operated with the United States on issues of continental security,includingas it relates to immigration. As the prime minister said whenPresident (Barack)Obama was here, we view any threat to the United Statesas a threat to Canada,"he said. (CTV Newsnet)

Can someone explain to me WHY someone who is so obviously ill informed has been put in such an important position? Where are her handlers and her aides? Where are her RESEARCHERS?

Let me state here categorically and emphatically – I do not EVER want to live in the state of paranoia and with the xenophobic mindset that is becoming increasingly prevalent across our once-friendly border. Do I think there are terrorist threats out there? Absolutely!

But I cannot and will NOT allow them to win by making me doubt every face, every person, every religion, every belief that does not fundamentally concur with mine.

Nor will I go down quietly as i watch the perpetual, continuing and frightening erosion of personal freedoms in the name of “security”. I am neither paranoid nor naive; but harassing citizens because they are a different colour, different culture or race and/or different religion is not the type of society I wish to see unfold in my lifetime. I do NOT want my children’s legacy to be a totalitarian state not unlike Stalin’s “Great Purge” – how IRONIC is that the Cold War of the 50s is coming back to haunt us in a manner of speaking? Stalin must be laughing in his grave!

Back then, politicians, citizens, ordinary people railed against the atrocities vested on the common man by Stalin’s Red Army – the lack of personal rights, the erosion of choice, and the rigid adherence to a party-dictated line of thought, punished severely and with no recourse at any imagined slight or deviation.

Paranoia is alive and well and living in the United States.

Canada has been a generous, committed, supportive and caring neighbour for a very long time. With no disparagement to Mexico, Canada does not have thousands of illegal immigrants sneaking across the border; we do not have drug wars whose violence spills over into American border towns.

Canada has responded quickly, appropriately and effectively to beef up security to deal with the new global realities of terrorism and fanaticism. We have co-operated and supported American security efforts in many areas and provided valuable feedback and guidance in other areas.

So, can President Barak Obam PLEASE ensure that with the new change of administration there is a commensurate change in the quality of people to whom he assigns key portfolios? Perhaps someone who is informed would be a good place to start ...

7 comments:

You don't even know the half of it. Geez...we don't even let kids run free any more for fear of the oogiewoogie men. You say hi to a six old in this country and they run, screaming that they're going to be kidnapped (well..a bit of an exaggeration as we Leos love a good story). It makes me sad to see the shut down kids who should be open and free. We've got paranoiditis in every way. Yeah..it simply makes me sad.

Particularly since 9-11, our leaders have chosen to fan the flames of fear. I suppose it is easier to rule a frightened populace. Why "they" are trying to turn Canada into some kind of a scape goat I have not a clue.

I think Canadians should be angry at being falsely accused of harboring/encouraging terrorists. I think all freedom loving, truth loving Americans should be angry that their country resorts to such tactics for whatever inane reason they have.

I encourage you to express your outrage via email to the American Ambassador in Canada and the Canadian Ambassador in the USA. Deluge them. Circulate this editorial and the article that appeared in the newspaper. Forward them to everyone in your address book.

Please don't judge the Obama Administration by this idiot. She was probably the least qualified person for Director of Homeland Security. Hell, she couldn't even keep the Minnesotans out of Phoenix when she was Governor of Arizona.